2000
#85,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 202
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Muenz
An occupational surname derived from the German word for "mint" or "coins", indicating an ancestor's role as a minter or coiner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 218 Americans carry the last name Muenz. That puts it at #101,282 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,572,268 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muenz surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
218
1 in 1,572,268
Census rank
#101,282
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
190
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 190 bearers of the surname Muenz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 101282nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muenz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muenz
The surname MUENZ originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "munze," which referred to a mint or a coin. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in minting coins or working in a mint.
One of the earliest documented references to the name MUENZ can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical records from Saxony, dated around 1190. The entry mentions a person named "Henricus Munze" who was involved in a land transaction.
In the 13th century, the name MUENZ appeared in various records across German-speaking regions, including the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, which documented land transfers and legal transactions in Westphalia. One notable entry from 1246 mentions a "Johannes Muenz" as a witness to a property sale.
The surname MUENZ can also be traced to several place names in Germany, such as Münzenberg in Hesse and Münzbach in Bavaria. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of a mint or coin-related activities, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and the minting profession.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the MUENZ surname was Johann Muenz, a prominent goldsmith and engraver born in Nuremberg in 1460. He was renowned for his intricate work and contributed to the development of German Renaissance art.
Another notable figure was Hans Muenz, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. He was known for his religious paintings and portraits, and his works can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
In the 17th century, the MUENZ surname gained prominence with the rise of Philipp Muenz, a successful banker and merchant from Frankfurt. He was instrumental in establishing trade routes and financial networks throughout the Holy Roman Empire.
During the 18th century, a branch of the MUENZ family settled in the Duchy of Prussia, where they became prominent landowners and nobles. One member, Friedrich von Muenz (1720-1789), served as a military commander and played a significant role in the Prussian campaigns during the Seven Years' War.
In the 19th century, the MUENZ surname spread across German-speaking regions and beyond, with individuals migrating to various parts of Europe and the Americas. One notable figure was Karl Muenz (1838-1917), a German-American architect who designed numerous public buildings and private residences in the United States.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable figures associated with the surname MUENZ, which has its roots in the minting and coinage traditions of medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muenz
Among Census respondents with the surname Muenz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Muenz bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Muenz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 172
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 13
- Two or more races2.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muenz
Muenz appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#82,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 229
+27 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 3,679 places
2020
#101,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 190
-39 bearers (-17.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 18,965 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #85,996 | 202 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #82,317 | 229 | 0.08 | +27 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 3,679 places |
| 2020 | #101,282 | 190 | 0.06 | -39 bearers (-17.0%) | Down 18,965 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Muenz surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #82,317 | #101,282 | -23.0% |
| Count | 229 | 190 | -17.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.06 | -20.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muenz bearers went from 229 to 190 (-17.0% change). The surname moved down 18,965 positions in the national ranking, going from #82,317 to #101,282.
FAQ
Muenz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muenz?
Name Census estimates that about 218 living Americans carry the surname Muenz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,572,268 residents.
How common is Muenz?
Muenz ranks #101,282 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 190 people with the surname Muenz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (218), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Muenz.
Has Muenz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muenz went from 229 recorded bearers to 190. That is a decrease of 39 (-17.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #82,317 to #101,282.
What does the Census say about the background of Muenz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muenz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.8%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Muenz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (172 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muenz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (6.8%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Muenz (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Muenz mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for "mint" or "coins", indicating an ancestor's role as a minter or coiner. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Muenz (0.06 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Muenz?
See how many Americans have the surname Muenz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.